1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to solid-state imaging devices, drive methods of solid-state imaging devices, and imaging apparatuses and, more specifically, to a solid-state imaging device of amplifier type in which unit pixels each including an optoelectronic conversion element have an amplification capability, a drive method of the solid-state imaging device, and an imaging apparatus using the solid-state imaging device.
2. Description of the Related Art
The development of solid-state imaging devices of amplifier type typified by CMOS (Complementary Metal Oxide Semiconductor) image sensors has recently become active. For the solid-state imaging device of this type, (e.g., refer to Patent Document 1 (JP-A-2001-69408)), reduction of the power supply voltage is promoted with the relaxation of a design rule for MOS (Metal Oxide Semiconductor). This resultantly reduces a reset voltage for use of resetting the potential of a floating diffusion section, i.e., charge-voltage conversion section, in a unit pixel.
In the solid-state imaging devices, in view of increasing an SN (Signal-to-Noise) ratio, it is originally considered advantageous if signal amplification is performed before the stage of a signal processing system. For the aim of deriving a satisfactory SN ratio, it is thus desirable that the floating diffusion section is reduced in capacity, and the conversion efficiency is increased at the time of converting a signal charge into a signal voltage.